Just Run

"Aren't you going to say something?" He asked with a smirk. He had been waiting in this bathroom since last night because it was the only place in this room that was not covered with such spells that would put him into an excruciating agony, enough to let himself sleep for a long period of time. And going into slumber was not in his plan, thus, like a loser, he waited for Calixto's human slave to enter the bathroom but it seemed that this girl had good control of her bladder. She sat down on her computer all night long without taking a bathroom break. He was about to lose his patience when she finally walked into the bathroom with her computer and a cup of milk.

Iris just stared at Talon. Her mind which was still laden with sleep could not process the idea that he was inside her bathroom. She just watched Talon take the cup of milk and her laptop from her hands and put them in the sink. Her eyes followed all of his moves but she could not find her voice to speak up.

"No wonder Calixto hides you here. Even I cannot go in here if not because of this extended bathroom."

"What? Still not going to say anything?" He laughed wryly. "Did Calixto put you under a spell?" He snapped his fingers in front of her face, startling her.

"Hmmm," he cocked his head to the side. "That's strange. Calixto did not put you in any spell. Not even the binding spell to make you recognize him as your master." He grinned like a Tomcat who had a canary for breakfast.

"Interesting," he smirked, caressing his chin as he walked around Iris who was standing like a marble statue with her eyes only moving.

Talon leaned forward and stared right at Iris's eyes. He looked at her eyes for a long time and the longer he looked, the line etched on his forehead went deeper.

When he got tired of staring at Iris' eyes, he straightened his back and shoved his hands in his pocket. He heard that this girl had already met Calixto's father who happened to be his brother whom he hated the most. He wondered if he realized that this girl could not be put under their spells.

"How old are you?"

He waited for the girl to answer but she just looked at him. He noticed that she no longer felt stunned nor afraid of her but she was still not talking and he could see that even she was confused about what was happening.

"This is just too much," he nodded, wiggling his index finger in front of her confused face. "When I first saw you that night in the club, you had taken my interest and since then, I wondered what made you special. And now, I understand."

"Do you want to come with me?" He asked, circling Iris. He could not see any indication that Calixto had bitten her today. Or was it too early for him to take some blood from this girl.

He watched Iris' eyes shake in panic when the idea of being taken was presented to her.

"You can do things freely if you come with me. You don't have to be a prisoner just like you are in this mansion."

Iris put down the cover of the toilet seat and sat down. She could not understand what was happening but what she could perceive based on Talon's words and actions was that he was as confused as her but for a different reason.

She sighed and pulled up her feet and hugged her knees. She was feeling a mix of emotions that she could not name. And she would not lie that she liked the idea of being free for a moment, she considered Talon's offer but then, she remembered Calixto and the idea on her head burst into the thin air like a bubble.

She would not be free. Not with Talon or Calixto. The only way to be free is to find out who her real parents are and where they are.

"Listen, Iris, right?"

When she nodded, he bent down on his knees and squatted in front of her.

"I know that you don't know me and with what happened between me and Marietta…uhm, that girl who was calling herself Love," he clicked his tongue and got distracted for a minute. "What a weird name to call oneself," he muttered under his breath before he continued with what he was saying to Iris.

"You may have a bad impression of me but I'm telling you, I'm not the bad guy…there will be others, especially now that my brother knows your existence. I don't understand why he isn't making a move but believe me, he will."

He pulled down Iris' legs to get her attention. "There will be others that will come to get you and just like before Calixto has no way to protect you. He isn't strong enough to fight his father and fight for the woman he loved."

"Woman?" She asked in a broken voice. She was surprised to hear some sounds coming out of her mouth. She did not expect that she could speak.

Talon chuckled. "You did not know?" He raised his brow, shaking his head. "I don't understand what Calixto was waiting for. If it was me, I would have prepared to stay away as far as possible from my brother—Calixto's father," he said to her as though he was making sure that she would remember the piece of information that he had said.

"Beware of my brother. If Calixto does nothing to keep you away from his own father, run."

Iris blinked and tried to remember when she met Calixto's father. It was not as evident in her memory because half of the time, she was unconscious and tied to a chair but she remembered noticing how Calixto was so polite while talking to his father. His voice was soft and gentle, and she questioned in her head if Calixto lost his mind.

"Run. Don't think of anyone or anything. Just run."